With regard to natural beauty alone, leave aside the development and the crowds, Salagdoong Beach was undoubtedly the most beautiful beach we visited during our three-week stay on Siquijor Island. We spent there a whole day, cliff diving, swimming, and chilling by the crystalline waters. I compiled this guide containing the information you will find useful for properly planning your trip to Salagdoong beach.
How to get to Salagdoong Beach
Salagdoong Beach is situated on the east coast of Siquijor Island, on the south coast of the cape you see protruding on the map. The coordinates of the beach are 9.2125, 123.6811. To get there, you drive north along the main road from Maria Village for about 3 km. Upon reaching Olang Village you’ll see a small concrete road branching off to the right. Sign to Salagdoong Beach is present. You drive down this picturesque road for about 2 km until it terminates before the entrance to the beach.
Description
Salagdoong Beach is a 100-meter-long stretch of white sand, neighbored by clear and deep, turquoise waters. In the middle of the beach, there is a picturesque bluff wherefrom one can cliff-jump into the sea. By the beach, you have a resort, restaurant, and other installations. It is one of the most popular beaches on Siquijor, thus it’s pretty much always crowded with people.
Entrance Fee in 2020
At the time of our visit (February 2020), the entrance fee to Salagdoong Beach was PHP 30 per person. They were also keen to pocket a PHP 20 motorbike fee. However, we were happy to park the bike outside and walk the 100 meters from the entrance to the beach, instead of paying that fee. They didn’t let us park the bike outside of the gate, notwithstanding it being technically a public area, but they didn’t object to us parking it 20 meters away. No extra fees apply to swim or cliff jump. Although, they have additional fees for renting beach-front tables, a floating swing, and other such.
Cliff Diving
What Salagdoong Beach is mainly famous for is unquestionably cliff diving. The rocky outcrop that’s situated in the middle of the beach features two jumping platforms and one slide. The slide was non-operational at the time of our visit (February 2020) and didn’t seem to have operated in quite some time. The lower platform was also closed, apparently due to low tide, but I suppose it’s open normally at higher sea levels.
The low platform is about 8 meters tall and the high one about 10 meters. None of them is high enough to involve a serious danger. If you don’t jump properly, however, the outcome may be painful. The important thing when you jump is to keep your body as perpendicular as possible: legs closed, arms attached to your body, neck straight. If you let any broad area of your body come in a direct impact with the water, you’ll go red, or blue, or purple.
If the height frightens you, it may be a good idea to run your way to the edge of the platform, instead of jumping from a still position. This will help you overcome fear, though it will make it slightly harder to keep a right dropping position.
Free Secret Beaches near Salagdoong Beach
If you don’t want to pay for a beach crowded with tourists, or you just want to check out something extra, you may consider visiting one of the two secret beaches situated in the vicinity of Salagdoong Beach. Both of them are astoundingly picturesque and exceptionally quiet. It is highly likely you will have them all to yourself. The first one is better for swimming.
For reaching them, you take the dirt track (you can drive on a scooter) leaving east about 100 meters before the entrance of Salagdoong Beach Resort. It is about a km to reach the first one of them, and 2-3 km to reach the second.
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